Marcus Aurelius

For if a man reflects on the changes and transformations which follow one another like wave after wave and their rapidity, he will despise everything which is perishable (xii. 21).

The universal cause is like a winter torrent: it carries everything along with it.

But how worthless are all these poor people who are engaged in matters political, and, as they suppose, are playing the philosopher!

For who can change men's opinions? and without a change of opinions what else is there than the slavery of men who groan while they pretend to obey?

Look down from above on the countless herds of men and their countless solemnities, and the infinitely varied voyagings in storms and calms, and the differences among those who are born, who live together, and die.

Let there be freedom from perturbations with respect to the things which come from the external cause; and let there be justice in the things done by virtue of the internal cause, that is, let there be movement and action terminating in…

All that thou seest will quickly perish, and those who have been spectators of its dissolution will very soon perish too.

And he who dies at the extremest old age will be brought into the same condition with him who died prematurely.

But the universal nature delights in change, and in obedience to her all things are now done well, and from eternity have been in like form, and will be such to time without end.

The rottenness of the matter which is the foundation of everything! water, dust, bones, filth: or again, marble rocks, the callosities of the earth; and gold and silver, the sediments; and garments, only bits of hair; and purple dye…

Whether intelligence rules all things or chance rules, a man must not be disturbed.

He must use the power that he has and be tranquil.

Well, then, is it not better to use what is in thy power like a free man than to desire in a slavish and abject way what is not in thy power?

Do thou pray thus: How shall I not desire to lie with her?

Pray thou: How shall I not desire to be released?

Thou thus: How shall I not be afraid to lose him?

When thou art offended with any man's shameless conduct, immediately ask thyself, Is it possible, then, that shameless men should not be in the world?

For at the same time that thou dost remind thyself that it is impossible that such kind of men should not exist, thou wilt become more kindly disposed towards every one individually.

And in all cases it is possible for thee to correct by teaching the man who is gone astray; for every man who errs misses his object and is gone astray.

For thou wilt find that no one among those against whom thou art irritated has done anything by which thy mind could be made worse; but that which is evil to thee and harmful has its foundation only in the mind.

And what harm is done or what is there strange, if the man who has not been instructed does the acts of an uninstructed man?

Consider whether thou shouldst not rather blame thyself, because thou didst not expect such a man to err in such a way.

But most of all when thou blamest a man as faithless or ungrateful, turn to thyself.

For what more dost thou want when thou hast done a man a service? art thou not content that thou hast done something conformable to thy nature, and dost thou seek to be paid for it? just as if the eye demanded a recompense for seeing, or…

Either all things proceed from one intelligent source and come together as in one body, and the part ought not to find fault with what is done for the benefit of the whole; or there are only atoms, and nothing else than mixture and…